A REDDIT thread has opened old wounds for several Brighton residents as one user asked where the big wheel has gone. 

When a user innocently said “I don’t live in Brighton so I only go down there a few times a year, but what happened to the Brighton Ferris wheel and why is it no longer there?” they had no idea the reaction it would garner. 

Dozens of the responses on the news discussion website expressed their anger at the loss of the wheel back in 2016 to make way for the i360 observation tower, prompting the original poster to apologise for causing the distress. 

One said: “You (inadvertently) opened up a rather sore wound for many Brighton residents…”

“Many residents and visitors miss the big wheel...what we got instead was the world's most expensive lift.”

The Argus:

To which another responded: “I love two things about the i360: 1. The way it brings us all together in our hatred of it. 2. The fact that British airways pay a lot of money to have their name all over a giant dildo.”

Someone wrote: “Ouch man, ouch! It feels like somebody asking where my Dad is ten years after he died.”

“It was iconic,pretty, fun and well placed so of course it had to go to not take tourists' money away from the elephant blanc,” said one user, describing the i360 as a white elephant.

Part of the agreement with the 530-ft tower was that there would be no seaside competition, which meant the wheel had to go. 

The Argus:

The huge structure has received plenty of criticism over the last few years from Brighton residents, especially after it came to light that it was in millions of pounds of debt to the council. 

A user responded to the thread to express his discontent for the tower.

They said: “The view is crap. It's impressive being that high up of course. 

“But looking out over the sea is just boring open blue space, and looking over Brighton is very dull.

“There is nothing to look at.”

The wheel, which sat on the left hand side of the Palace Pier was replaced with a zip line in 2017, costing £1.7 million.

The i360 is currently looking for new sponsorship after British Airways announced its withdrawal earlier this year.